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Transcript
· Intro
0:00 · The power of the Mongol Army is infamous and medieval accounts
0:07 · paint a grisly picture of their ferocious military in action. However, one dimension of this experience which often goes missing is the scale of
0:17 · such affairs: … from their camps… to their marching formations… and their battle lines…
0:36 · So today let's bring to life the True Size of a Mongol Army.
0:46 · I love making documentaries and being able to bring to life the stories from history sci-fi and fantasy that are near and dear to my heart and as such I can appreciate especially as a DM
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· The Mongol Soldier
2:34 · [Music] Early on, Mongol armies were composed primarily of the men from their tribe.
2:40 · These took the field as horse archers or lancers. The most elite among these
2:46 · would be selected to serve as the personal guard of powerful warlords. During the early reign of Temujin, this Keshik numbered only a few hundred. However, in the
2:58 · process of founding the Mongol Empire Temujin would change the nature of warfare on the steppe.
3:06 · The first major change was the absorption of neighboring steppe tribes during Temujin's
3:11 · bloody wars of unification. These efforts would be formalized at the famous Kurultai of 1206. Here
3:20 · Temujin was proclaimed Chinghis Khan, ruler of the now united tribes which included the Merkits,
3:27 · Khitans, Kirghiz, Keraites, Naimans, Tatars, Uyghurs, Oirat, and the Buryat.
3:38 · These once warring tribes were now recognized as a single united people, the Qamuq Monggol
3:46 · Ulus. But to outsiders, they would simply become known as the Mongols.
3:53 · Such a simplification glosses over some important details. However, these new steppe forces acted in a very similar capacity to their
4:02 · Mongol counterparts and will be depicted as such in this video.
4:09 · Thus united, these people of the steppe represented a significant pool of manpower.
4:15 · This was made even more pronounced by Chinggis Khan's military reforms.
· Recruitment and Equipment
4:21 · Like the Hsiung-Nu and the Turks before them, every able bodied male from 15-60 was liable
4:29 · for service. For instance, sources writing about these post-unification years claim that in 1267
4:36 · each household with 2-3 men within this age group was obligated to provide one of these as a soldier
4:43 · while households of 4-5 men provided 2 soldiers and households of 6-7 men provided 3 soldiers.
4:54 · Each Mongol conscript was expected to bring his own mount and equipment. If he could not
5:00 · provide his own, then his immediate superior was required to make up the deficit. While their kit
5:06 · likely varied over the years, we are provided a rather detailed reference list by the Liao Shi,
5:12 · a Chinese historical book compiled in the 13th century under the the Mongol-led Yuan
5:18 · dynasty regarding the Khitan army. It claims that in ideal conditions, a steppe warrior was expected to possess: 9 pieces of iron armor,
5:29 · four composite bows with 400 arrows, as well as a long spear, a short spear, a club, an axe, and a
5:38 · halberd. They were also expected to have a small banner, a hammer, a knife, a flint, and rations.
5:47 · Each man was also expected to supply his own horses. Apparently the minimum
5:53 · amount was 3 but ranges could go all the way up to 18 in some cases.
5:58 · For our model, we will assume an average of 6 remounts per rider.
6:03 · These would have been critical for the mobility of the Mongol army which would have not only rotated through their horses while on the move but also used them as a source of sustenance.
· The Non-Mongol Soldier
6:17 · Returning to our list of soldier types, we will now briefly mention a final category,
6:22 · the non-nomadic forces. Typically these were not integrated into the main steppe army,
6:29 · being instead used as garrison forces and sometimes auxiliary units for use in sieges.
6:36 · Such non-nomad units were known as Cheriks
6:43 · The first Cheriks were very likely formed from deserting Jin troops during the mongolian conquest
6:49 · of China. These men maintained their officers and organization and became the Hei Chun,
6:55 · or Black Army. They were responsible for holding the ground that the Mongols gained.
7:02 · Later when the Cherik became too large to manage, the Hei Chun would be reorganized along more Mongolian lines into the Hsin Chun or New Army.
7:15 · All of these elements of the Mongol army would be given structure and purpose by the Mongol administration which met at the Kurultai.
7:25 · The Kurultai was a gathering of the tribes and their leaders. It was a place of princes and chieftains. And it was at the Kurultai that Khans were elected,
7:35 · commanders were appointed, and campaigns were plotted. There was also a good deal of drinking,
7:42 · dancing, feasting, and gaming. As is natural when you gather thousands of people together.
7:48 · Following these Kuriltai, the Mongol army would gather for war.
· Arban (10 men)
7:54 · They did so according to a decimal system. The smallest unit was the Arban. It was a unit of 10 men commanded by the Arban-u Noyad.
8:04 · This unit likely contained 6 horse archers and 4 light lancers.
8:12 · Each of these men brought with them around 6 remounts for a total of 60 horses, most of
8:18 · which were mares. We will also assume the presence of other animals including 3 sheep and a camel.
8:26 · These might be herded by the men of the Arban but sources suggest that the use of herding
8:32 · dogs was quite common. Thus we will assume the presence of 1 Bankhar dog per Arban.
8:40 · As a unit, we have also assumed that they share a single yurt, or Ger. This could be broken down
8:48 · and carried in a LeLe cart hitched to one of the beasts of burden. This high proportion of animals
8:55 · which accompanied the Mongol army played a large part in keeping them supplied whilst in the field.
9:02 · Much of their diet was dairy based. Mares were capable of producing several quarts of milk a
9:10 · day which could be consumed in both liquid and dry forms. For instance the Mongols were famous for
9:17 · producing a fermented milk known as Kumiss which was prepared while on the ride using a special
9:23 · gourd. Milk could also be turned into a dried curd, called Qurut, which could be rehydrated
9:31 · in water for easy consumption. The Mongols were also known to drink the blood of their horses
9:36 · and would scavenge any deceased livestock to make a quick meal or long lasting dried meats.
9:45 · As an example, records indicate that during the Khwarazmian campaign mongol riders were
9:52 · required to carry 3 ½ borts worth of dried sheep per Arban. These were typically boiled
10:00 · in a salted water stew, known as Shülen, within the unit's single ceramic cauldron.
· Jaghun (100 men)
10:09 · Returning now to our army structure. The next unit after the Arban was the Jaghun, or Jaghut
10:17 · in the plural. In decimal fashion it consisted of 10 Arbat and thus contained 60 horse archers
10:24 · and 40 light lancers. These men were commanded by a Jaghun-u Noyad, or the Lord of the Jaghun.
10:38 · Based on our previous assumptions, each Jaghun brought with it a herd of 600 horses in addition to 30 sheep, 10 camels, 10 dogs, and 10 carts.
10:51 · In camp these men would have been housed in around 10 standard Gers.
10:58 · As a point of comparison we will now drop in a standard Imperial Roman Century.
11:04 · Here you can see that while both might have roughly the same number of men, their associated
11:09 · gear and support elements are quite different. The Mongol force has many more mouths to feed.
11:17 · On the one hand they require a simple grass and water diet but on the other hand, the quantities
11:22 · of both are MASSIVE. Thus, so long as a Mongol force could find sufficient pasturage, its
11:30 · war machine could chug on. But once this became unavailable, Mongol forces were on a very tight
11:36 · logistical leash that required them to always keep moving or return to the steppe entirely.
11:44 · If you were to find a Jaghun on its own it would most likely be acting as a scouting unit known
11:51 · as an Alginci, or ‘those of the vanguard'. These men would operate as scouts and raiders anywhere
11:59 · from 30 to 75 miles in front of the main column. As such they might identify sources
12:06 · of supply and drive off locals from their farms in anticipation of the army's arrival.
12:14 · In peacetime the algincin acted as the eyes and ears of the occupying Mongol armies which were
12:22 · too large to leave the pasturage of the steppe for long. Thus it was that these
12:27 · scouts helped them keep tabs on their new domains and signal back to the army when a
12:33 · larger deployment of forces might be needed. If, say for instance, a vengeful foe thought
12:39 · it was safe to emerge from their fortresses and challenge the Khan's grip on these lands.
· Mingghan (1,000 men)
12:48 · The next step up in the decimal system would be a grouping of 10 Jaghut known as the Mingghan.
12:55 · It consisted of 1,000 riders, 600 of which were archers and 400 of which were lancers.
13:03 · These were in turn commanded by the Mingghan-u Noyad. In days past, this might be the warhost of
13:10 · an important chieftain, but now it represented but a fraction of the unified steppe army.
13:19 · Once more we can use our prior assumptions to calculate their associated elements. Each
13:25 · Mingghan brought with it a herd of 6,000 horses in addition to 300 sheep, 100 camels, 100 dogs,
13:33 · and 100 carts. In camp these men would have been housed in around 100 standard Gers. Now we will
13:42 · add an additional Wagon Ger to house the important figure and his retinue which helmed this force.
13:51 · The Mingghan was the smallest operational group of the Mongol army whose size allowed
13:57 · it to act independently. In fact they were regarded as social-military units which
14:02 · functioned essentially as nomadic tribes, complete with women, children, and elders.
14:11 · Such Mingghat typically resided on the borders of the steppe and might be clustered in groups
14:17 · of two or three. From here they served as home bases for the roving Algincin. As such
14:24 · they could pool important supplies and stand ready to act as a first response to any threat.
14:32 · In the early days of Mongol conquest they also served as a collection point for tribute.
14:38 · Later this duty would be transferred to government officials as the Mongols accustomed themselves to the sedentary practice of taxation.
14:48 · When the call to war was sounded, these Mingghat could easily break down their bases on the steppe
14:53 · and push forward into enemy territory. In this capacity they typically acted as a vanguard force
15:00 · for the main horde. As such they helped support the leading units of Algincin and secured advance
15:07 · bases of supply. It was this line of march that gave the Mongolians their reputation for speed.
· Tumen (10,000 men)
15:15 · Next, 10 mingat would be grouped into a single Tumen of 10,000 men,
15:20 · 6,000 of which were archers and 4,000 of which were lancers. These men were commanded by the Tumen-u Noyad, which was an immensely prestigious
15:31 · position. The original Lords of the Tumet were appointed by Chinggis Khan himself.
15:47 · In addition to its 10,000 men a single tumen brought with it a herd of 60,000
15:53 · horses in addition to 3,000 sheep, 1,000 camels, 1,000 dogs, and 1,000 carts.
16:02 · In camp these men would have been housed in around 100 standard Gers and 10 Wagon Gers.
16:10 · Such a force would have been expected to carry out more significant military operations and
16:16 · thus likely had a force of some 500 engineers and skilled laborers. These men would have been
16:22 · conscripted into Mongolian service from defeated foes such as Jin China and the Kingdom of Xi-Xia.
16:32 · At this point we should once more mention the idea that each of these terms for Mongolian units, doubled as both military and social labels.
16:42 · For instance, the Arban represented 10 households, the Jaghun 100, the Mingan 1,000 and the Tumen
16:51 · 10,000 households. This highest level was often taken to represent an entire nation
16:57 · of people and thus to be appointed commander of such a Tumen was incredibly prestigious.
17:06 · The first commanders of the Mongolian Tumet were all close companions of Chingis Khan
17:11 · whom the Secret History refers to as follows:
17:17 · “They are the Four Dogs of Temujin. They have foreheads of brass, their jaws are like scissors,
17:24 · their tongues like piercing awls, their heads are iron, their whipping tails swords . . . In
17:32 · the day of battle, they devour enemy flesh. Behold, they are now unleashed,
17:38 · and they slobber at the mouth with glee. These four dogs are Subutai, Jebe, Kublai, and Jelme.” It would be these men who led their Tumet to conquer the vast Mongol Empire,
17:48 · often acting as the vanguard for the main horde which followed in their destructive
17:53 · wake. A prime example would be in 1220 when Subutai and Jebe led their Tumet on an audacious
18:00 · reconnaissance in force through eastern Europe, devastating army after army over 3 bloody years.
18:10 · The operational independence of these Tumet is quite impressive and it's amazing to read about
18:16 · what these mere 10,000 men managed to achieve on their own. However we should remember that
18:23 · while on paper their fighting strength seems quite low, they were accompanied by an estimated 60,000
18:30 · horses and many thousands of additional support staff and animals which rarely get counted.
18:39 · The supply needs of the entire force was thus quite large, requiring vast quantities of water and pasturage wherever they went. As a quick calculation,
18:49 · an average sized mature horse requires around 1 to 3 acres of pasturage per month.
18:56 · Thus a Tumen with 70,000 horses requires around 70 to 210
19:04 · thousand acres a month. Thats 110 to 330 square miles or 280 to 850 square kilometers.
19:16 · Truly mind boggling numbers to imagine, especially when you consider what this looked like on the
19:22 · ground level as the Tumen descended upon an area like a horde of locusts. However,
19:28 · as in nature a large swarm may risk exhausting its own food supply if consumed too quickly. Mongols
19:36 · therefore had to balance the strength of their forces with their supply needs. In this regard
19:42 · it seems that the Tumen represented the most practical deployment of Mongol military strength.
· Chun (30,000 men)
19:50 · But the truly monstrous size of the Mongol Army comes into focus when at least three
19:56 · Tumet combined into an army, which is referred to as the Cherik or the Chun by our sources.
20:04 · For this video we shall use the latter. A single Chun of 30,000 men boasted 18,000 horse archers
20:11 · and 12,000 lancers. These fell under the command of an Orlug, which has been loosely translated as,
20:19 · ‘Paladin'. Such men were incredibly powerful figures, appointed directly by the Khan himself.
20:27 · Generally speaking it would be the duty of the Orlug to then appoint the Tumet commanders who in turn would appoint the Mingat commanders and so on down the line.
20:39 · This 3-Tumen strong Chun brought with it an estimated herd of 180,000 horses
20:46 · in addition to 9,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 3,000 dogs, and 3,000 carts.
20:54 · In camp these men would have been housed in around 300 standard Gers and 30 Wagon Gers.
21:02 · In addition they brought with them a support staff of about 1,500 engineers and some imprecise number
21:09 · of other herd animals, people, and materials which we will not seek to approximate in this model.
21:18 · In summary, let's provide an accounting of their numbers according to our idealized model. Together
21:25 · they number 253,500. Of all the beings within this area 12% are humans and 88% are animals. Among the
21:37 · people, about 47% are horse archers, 38% are horse lancers, 10% are officers, 5% are specialists.
21:48 · Using these figures we can roughly calculate that such a Chun would require around 210 to 630
21:56 · thousand acres of pasturage a month. That's 330 to 990 square miles or 840 to 2,520 square kilometers.
22:10 · Given all this, it is no exaggeration to say that the passage of a single chun left
22:16 · the countryside desolate and destroyed for miles in every direction. But this
22:22 · sort of concentrated parade-rest deployment we are currently showing is quite a-historic.
· Army in Camp
22:30 · More commonly you would find a Mongol Army in their camp, on the march, or in battle.
22:36 · Let's take a look at the True Size of each of these.
22:44 · The most important point to make is that a full Chun would not usually stay united. Rather it
22:52 · would more often break up into its component Tumet to ease its logistical burdens and
22:58 · to better outmaneuver its foes. As these advanced, they would usually set up a nightly camp.
23:07 · At the center would be the commander's tent which was said to have had an offset of two bowshots,
23:13 · or about 400 to 600 meters, within which no one but the guard and approved personnel could enter.
23:21 · Beyond this would radiate out the rest of the Tumet, likely in accordance to their
23:27 · decimal structure. In this way the macro level organization of the army could be preserved
23:33 · while at the micro level, foot traffic was made easy as each Ger oriented its entrance to the
23:40 · south. Based on our model, we approximate a circular Tumet camp footprint of around
23:45 · 0.8 square miles or 2 square kilometers. For context, such a camp with an outer diameter of
23:53 · 1.6 km would take about 20 minutes to walk across and 2.5 minutes to gallop across.
24:01 · Though it should be pointed out that the effective footprint of the camp would have been significantly extended on account of its vast herds which grazed the surrounding areas.
· Army on the March
24:14 · When it came time to move, the order to strike camp was given by pounding the Naccara Drum,
24:21 · which was also the symbol of the Orlug's authority. The first beating of the drum signaled preparation of the horses, the second
24:30 · was to strike tents and gather into marching formation, the third was the order to move
24:38 · In an idealized depiction, the Mongol army would have marched out in a radial formation.
24:45 · At the center was the Commander. The major elements would have been the left and right wings as well as the vanguard and rear guard. Additional units of scouts and patrols were
24:56 · extended beyond these. How loose or tight this arrangement set would be up to the commander's
25:03 · discretion and was likely a factor of both the terrain and the threat level of the enemy.
25:11 · Such a force, with all its elements present, would have actually moved quite slowly to
25:17 · allow its animals to graze sufficiently and its supply elements to keep up.
25:23 · For instance during Hulegu's march to the Middle East, the Mongols moved as slowly as 14 miles a day, a pace comparable to a foot-based army.
25:35 · Their reputation for lightning speed is therefore better attributed to their flying columns which could advance rapidly in smaller numbers, unhindered by baggage trains.
25:47 · In such cases, an impressive 60 miles or more could be covered in a single day. Now let us see what this force would have looked like when riding into battle.
· Army in Battle
25:59 · Typically this was achieved by deploying the army's Tumet into 3 wings.These were as follows:
26:06 · the Je'un Ghar on the left, the Qol in the center, and the Baraghun Ghar on the right.
26:15 · Depending on the situation, these could be stretched out or compressed. In this way a
26:21 · Mongol force could fluidly adjust its frontage in a manner that would be difficult for more rigid foot troops which required a minimal depth to maintain cohesion and repel cavalry charges.
26:34 · The Mongol army, unshackled by such constraints, could thus easily contort itself to outmaneuver a foe. Let us now see how this might be achieved.
26:48 · A common tactic would be an encirclement. Here the Mongols would repeat the tactics of a steppe hunt,
26:55 · or nerge, whereby riders would surround and corral their prey.
27:01 · From here they could begin to pick off stragglers or harass strong positions. The ultimate aim
27:08 · was to tease apart enemy formations so they could more readily be destroyed.
27:15 · One way to achieve this would be through wave attacks. Our sources report that the Mongols tended to deploy in ranks of 5,
27:24 · the first three lines composed of horse archers and the last two composed of lancers.
27:33 · The attack would begin with the first line of horse archers riding towards the enemy.
27:38 · These could begin to loose arrows at a range of about 300 meters which was made possible
27:44 · by the Mongolian composite bow. However its true killing power would be achieved when the riders
27:51 · advanced up to within 50 meters of the enemy. At this point they would wheel about and return
27:57 · to their main line, firing backwards as they rode. As they did so the next wave of archers
28:04 · would have been unleashed. In this way, a near continuous barrage of fire could be delivered.
28:11 · By the third wave, thousands of arrows would have left the enemy in a state of shock.
28:20 · At this point the final two waves of lancers could crash upon the foe before
28:25 · it had regained cohesion. If anyone were left standing, the cycle could simply be repeated.
28:32 · More obstinate foes could be induced to break ranks through feigned flight.
28:42 · Here the Mongols would pretend to retreat, sometimes over the course of days,
28:47 · before turning back to obliterate their disorganized pursuers.
28:55 · If an enemy did not take the bait then the Mongols might employ a final psychological trick they had
29:02 · learned from the hunt. Here they would encircle the enemy army but leave an intentional path
29:10 · of escape. This ray of hope would often induce soldiers to flee rather than stand their ground.
29:19 · But this was a trap. Once a panicked, animalistic flight began it would be nearly impossible to
29:27 · reverse. Now the Mongols could easily swoop in to destroy their prey with minimal effort.
29:38 · Shown at its True Size, I hope you can appreciate the incredible nature of the Mongol Army.
29:46 · Stay tuned for more episodes on the Mongols and let us know what topics we should cover next.
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